Tongue supporting jack mechanism for trailer-type vehicle



TONGUE SUPPORTING JACK MECHANISM FOR TRAILER-TYPE VEHICLE Filed Feb. 20, 1956 K. P. RYAN June 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F154 Wil i 0 57 g Q fCf W1 M A 1 A ,7 M m) 0 0 a), M fitter/269 K. P. RYAN June 7, 1960 TONGUE SUPPORTING JACK MECHANISM FOR TRAILER-TYPE VEHICLE Filed Feb. 20. 1956 2 She ets-Shee't 2 The present invention relates to a supporting mechanism, and more particularly to a jack mechanism for conveniently supporting the tongue of a trailer-type vehicle which is not in-use.

Numerous kinds of trailing vehicles or devices are em ployed from time to time with a singletractor. Frequently the operator of the tractor must hitch or unhitch the trailing device by himself.. In detaching a trailing 12 by a pair of nuts 21 and 22. The free ends of each of i nited t s-Pat nt 7 Patented June 7,

preferably and rectangular in eross section, be provided 'witha bracket member,'generally designated 1, e rits o e e de c mmb .i 9lud. a

bracket plate 1Z welded to the housing member 10, and

securing means for attaching the jack mechanisrnto a tongue 13 of a trailer-type vehicle, not shown. a

Astherein shown, the securing means includes'a pair of upper eye-bolts Hand 15 secured tothe bracket plate 12 .by'a pair of nuts 16 and 17, and a1 lowerpair of L-' shaped members 18.and 20 secured to the bracket plate the L-shapedmembers are adapted to pass through the openings in the eye-bolts, as shownin Fig. 7, and form with the eye-bolts a pair of U-shaped members which embrace the tongue 13'. By rotatably advancing the nuts 16 and 17, 21 and 22, the bracket member 11 firmly secures the housing member 10 inupright position upon the tongue .13. a I

As best seen in Figs. 5 and 6, a supporting member,

generallydesignated 23, is slidablyreceived Within the 7 housing member 10. The supporting member 23 preferdevice, there is usually a binding actionin thetractor hitch, making it ditficult for the tractor operator-tomaneuver the tractor and detach the trailing device at the same time: J I 1 It iscontemplated that the jack mechanism of the present invention be secured to the tongue of each trailing device which is to be used with the tractor. The jack mechanism is normallycarried in retra'ctedinoperative position when the trailingdevice is hitched to the tractor, 1 but it can be quickly and conveniently movedto supportthe trailing device. When the trailing device is'u'nhitched, the jack mechanism supports the tongue iofi the ground so that the trailing device can be; readily rehitched by a single person at any time, 4 r H The primary object of the present invention is toprovide a new and improved jackmechanism for supporting the tongue of a trailer-type vehicle.-

Anotherobject isto provide a jack mechanism which maybe permanentlyattached to the tongue of a trailing ing' position by the tractor operator inorder to detach ablyincludes a telescoping member 24 and a screw member 25. The telescoping member 24 is preferably tubu Iar, ;and has a} cross se'ction similar to that, the housing member 10 so as to make a close sliding fit within the housing member. The freeend ofjthe telescoping member 24 is provided with a broad base plate 26 forj engagin'g theground when the jack mechanism is ,in itssupporting position. As seen inFig. 6, the base plate also preferably rests against the housing member 10 and bracket member. li Q; t.- pw m vement f t etel sc p m mb 24' initsiretracted, inoperative, carrying position. j

tThef ;scre w; 2 5 of ,thejsupportingmember 23,- -18 prefer-.-

' ably-arranged to :make a rotatable connectio,nwith the a thrustjbearing orbearingplat'e 31 isfpreferablyvwelded I upper end 29 of the telescoping member 24. Tothisend,

across the; tubular telescopingmember within the upper end 2910101111 8; well-shaped receptable'against -whichthe lower ,end of the scrjew725 may 'bearmThe vehicle, and which can be quickly and easily moved between retracted inoperativeposition and extended supporting position. a v A further object is to provide a jack mechanism which is adapted for adjustment insmall increments while in supporting position to facilitatehitching and unhitching a trailing vehicle. i

Still another object is to provide a novel latch means as shown in Fig. 4;

which will automatically engage when the jack mechanism is. in supporting position, and which will permit vertical adjustment of. the jack mechanismin small increments.

The invention is illustrated in thepreferredembodiment inv the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 isa side elevational view of the jack'mechanis'rn in its supperting position; v

Fig. 2, anenlarge'd fragmentary top plan view} j Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view taken from the right of Fig. 1 and showing the latching structure of the present invention;

Fig; 4, asectional view taken'a s'indicated on line 4 -4 I Fig. 5, a side elevational view of the mechanism in supporting position with its tubular members in section to illustrate the internal structurexof the device;

lower end'of 'the screw 25 may, be provided with an annular groove,'27,and itis rotatably secured to the telescoping-member 24 by a pair of similar pins:2'8 and?!) mounted initheupperend of the telescoping-member 24; The pins 28 and 30 are adapted to fit in the annular groove 27,. preferably on'opposite sides of the screw .25,

- :The upper end of the scre,w 25, which may include a shankportion'SZ, is slidably journaled, in an apertured plate 33 welded acrossthe upper end of the housing member .Thusgwhen the base plate 26. is depressed towardthe ground, thejentire supporting member-23, includingt-he telescoping member 24 and the screw 25,will

slide within the housing member 10. The supporting rnemben 23 is preferably normally urged inward of the housing member 10; toward retracted inoperative position, 'illustr-ated 'inFig. 6, and'tothis end, a tension spring 34 mayhe provided-whichv is preferably secured at its .op

' posite-ehds to aprojectionjionthe'housing' 10 and .toi'a projection 36on theb'ase plate 26.-

.;Mjeans are also; provided for retaining the supporting member f23 in its extended supporting position,-as shown in Fig. 5.

In the present embodiment, fa latch'dog 37 is preferably pivoted by a pivot pin- 38 between a pair of "ea'r's40, welded to the housing 10; The latch' dog 37 elongated slot 41'. LSpringmeans'may be provided: nor- Fig. .6, a view as in Fig. 5, butwith the'device in retracted inoperative position; and w Fig; 7,; a" sectional view taken as indicated on line 77 of Fig.6.

" Iii the embodiment illustrated, a housing" member -1 0,

normally projects inwardly of the housing 1t! through an mally to project the latch dog 37 inwardly of. the 'ho'using 10;:hoWeVe'r, asv herein shown, an outwardly projecting release .lever 42: is secured to the latch dog 37,'and it causes the pivoted latch. dog 37 to swinginwardly through the s lo't flof the housing member 10. under. the

device is not in use.

force of gravity, and to assume a balanced condition Within the housing member 19.

A second latching member is provided on the supporting member 23 to cooperate withithe latch dog 37 and hold the supporting member in extended; position. As best seen in Figs. and 6, a nut 43 is preferably threaded upon the screw 25. The nut 43- ispreferably rectangular in cross section and is held against rotation by making a close sliding fit with the inner Walls of the housing member 16. i When the telescoping member 24' is depressed, the nut 43 and the screw 25 move with it. As the nut 43- passes by the latch dog 37, it pivots the latch dog 37 outwardly of the housing member 19. When the nut 43 is moved farther downwardly, the latch dog37 is cleared and is permitted to pivot inwardly of the housing member 19 again. The telescoping member 24 may then be released, and an upper face 44 of the nut 43 engages an angled edge '45 on the free end of the latch dog 37. Since the latch dog 37 is supported outwardly of the housing member by the pin 38 and ears 40, this engagement tends to swing the latch dog 37 farther inwardly tosecurely latch the telescoping member in extended supporting Inward swinging of the latchdog 37' may be assume that the mechanism is secured to the tongue of a trailing device which is hitched to a tractor. At this time the jack mechanism Will be in its retracted inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 6. When the operator of the tractor desires to detach the trailing device, he merely steps on a portion of the base plate 26 and depresses the telescoping member 214 a suflicientdistance so that the nut 43 passes downwardly beyond the latch dog-37. The operator then removes his foot from the. base plate 26:, and the telescoping member 24 is retained inits extended supporting position;

A crank dfi, which is pivotally secured to theshank 32 of the screw 25, may then be turned to rotatably advance the screw 25 through the nut 43 so that the screw bears against the thrust bearing 31 to depress the telescoping member 24, and the base plate '26 engages the ground. The crank may be rotated as desired to relieve any binding action that may be p resent'between the trailer tongue and the tractor hitch, and the trailing device can easily be detached. I

The tractor may then be pulled away, and the trailing device is permanently supported by the jack mechanism so that it may be conveniently rehitched to the tractor when desired. 'The'jack mechanism retains the tongue hitch out of contact with the ground when the trailing In addition, should the base plate 26 sink into the ground after a period of time, it is a simple matter to realign the hitches of the tractor and trailer. The crank 46 may be turned to advance the screw 25 and telescoping member 24 in small increments until the desired alignment is obtained. When the tongue is attached once more to 'the tractor hitch, the release lever 42 may be pivoted counterclockwise, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, to remove the angled edge 45 of the latch A dog 37 from the upper: face 44 0f the nut 43. The supporting member 23 is then immediately moved to retracted inoperative position by the tension spring 34, and the trailing device is ready to be moved.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limita-.

tions should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the I claim:

1. A jack for supporting the tongue of a trailer, comprising: a housing member adaptedto' be. mounted on the tongue of a trailer; a telescoping member slidably mounted in said housing member and movablenbetween a retracted inoperative position and an extended supporting position; an elongated screw secured to an end of said telescoping member, said screw being slidably journaled in the housing member for movement with the telescoping member; a latch member pivoted to said housing member and normally urged toward the screw; and a nut threaded on said screw, said nut being positioned to engage said latch member when the telescoping member is moved to extended position, the engagement of said nut and latch member retaining and supporting said telescoping member in extended position so that rotation of said screw will vary the extension of the telescoping member.

.2. A jack as specified in claim 1, in which the screw is rotatably secured to the end of the telescoping member, said end being provided with a thrust bearing against which the screw bears when rotated to advance the tele scoping member in extended position.

3. A jack as specified in claim 1, in which spring means are operatively connected to the telescoping member to urge said telescoping member toward retracted position.

4. A jack for supporting the tongue of a trailer, comprising: a tubular housing member of rectangular cross section having a longitudinally extending slot in its lateral surface, said housing member beingadapted to be mounted in upright position on the tongue of a trailer; a

telescoping member of similar cross section slidably received in the housing member and movable between a retracted inoperative position and an extended supporting positioman elongated screw rotatably secured to the upper end of said telescoping member, said screw being loosely journaled at its free endin the housing member 7 to permit the screw and telescoping member to slide longitudinally of said housing member; a tension spring secured at its ends to-the housingmember and telescoping member to urge said telescoping member toward retracted position; a latch dog pivoted to the housing member, said latch dog being normally projected through the slot inwardly of said housing member; and a rectangularlyshaped nut threaded on-the screw and held against rotation by making a close sliding fit with the inner Walls of the housing member, said nut beingmovable with the screw to engaged position below the latch dog so that the upper face of said nut is heldin engagement with said latch dog by the tensionspring when the telescoping member is moved to extended position, the engagement of said nut and latch dog retaining the telescoping member in extended position whereby rotation of the screw will vary the extension of said telescoping member.

5. A jack for supporting the tongue of a trailer, comprising: a housing member adapted to be mounted on the tongue of a trailer; a supporting member slidably received in the housing member for movement between a retracted inoperative position and an extended supporting position, said supporting member including a ground engaging portion at one end and an elongated screw at the other end slidable in said housingmember with the ground engaging portion; a latch member secured to the housing member adjacent a portion of said elongated screw when the supporting member is in extended position; and anut threaded on said-screw, said nut being of. a' size toengage said latch member when the supporting member is moved to extended position so that turning of the screw will move the nut relative to the screw and. vary the extension of said supporting member with respect to the housing member. a

6. A- jack as specified in claim 5, in which the nut is slidable longitudinally with the elongated. screw, and is held against rotation by the housing member when the screw is turned to vary the extension of the supporting member.

7. A jack as specified in claim 5 in which spring means are provided for normally urging the supporting member toward retracted position and" for retaining. said supporting member in retracted position when the latch memher is disengaged from the nut.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 161,974 Marshall Apr. 13, 1875 6 Montgomery Dec. 1, 1891 Soseman July 17, 1906. Prouty Feb. 19, 1907 Capello June 22, 1937 Wagner May 16, 1944 

